Egyptian parliamentarians demand Morsi's return

CAIRO (AP) — Islamist lawmakers in Egypt's disbanded upper house of parliament are demanding the return of the country's ousted president, and calling on other parliaments not to recognize the country's new army-appointed leadership.

The demand was made Saturday by around 20 members of the Shura Council, which was Egypt's sole legislative house from the court-ordered dissolution of the lower house last year until the military's July 3 toppling of Mohammed Morsi.

The lawmakers, who were attending a mostly Islamist sit-in in the east of Cairo, accused the military of attempting to restore a "corrupt and dictatorial" regime.

Morsi was Egypt's first elected freely elected president, succeeding longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak who himself was toppled in 2011.

The military ousted Morsi after millions of protesters took to the streets calling for his removal.